The FBI, during the Biden administration, allegedly spent two years investigating a Catholic school teacher and even placed her on a terrorist watch list, following unverified tips connecting her to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, as outlined in a new Congressional report.
Kristin Crowder stated she was not at the Capitol when it was occupied by a mob attempting to halt the certification of the 2020 election. She had, however, attended a rally for then-President Donald Trump earlier that day in Washington, D.C. According to the report, the FBI monitored her for 23 months.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who chairs the committee, criticized this move, labeling it an inappropriate exercise of federal authority based on weak evidence.
“A free society cannot tolerate a system where programs meant to keep the public safe are instead misused based on mere suspicion,” Paul remarked. He added that the documents revealed how unverified information led to nearly two years of surveillance on innocent individuals.
The FBI’s inquiry into Crowder began in January 2021 after an anonymous informant claimed to recognize her from media coverage of the riot. Despite discrepancies regarding her location, the FBI broadened its investigation to include physical surveillance, putting her on a travel watch list, obtaining a warrant for her Facebook account, and preparing potential charges against her.
Ultimately, in June 2023, the FBI concluded that Crowder could not be definitively traced to the Capitol on that day and subsequently closed the case. They found no evidence confirming that she entered the Capitol, noting that she was elsewhere in D.C. at the time.
This case came to light amid a broader inquiry into potential politically motivated surveillance by federal agencies under the Biden administration, which included the “Quiet Skies” program. Furthermore, it intersected with internal FBI memos concerning religious profiling, particularly targeting traditionalist Catholic congregations that were thought to radicalize extremists. These memos were retracted after being publicly revealed by a whistleblower.
Concerns voiced by lawmakers suggested that the FBI, among other agencies, might be misusing religious and political profiling as justification for surveillance initiatives. The Quiet Skies program, which aimed to monitor individuals not formally identified as threats, had alarmed Republicans, who worried about creating a vague space for surveillance without proven risks to national security.
In a separate investigation, it was disclosed that the TSA monitored future Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on several flights after her attendance at an event in Vatican City, a move she believed was prompted by her criticisms of then-President Biden.
FBI Director Kash Patel remarked on Crowder’s case as a misuse of the bureau’s resources. The Quiet Skies program reportedly cost taxpayers around $200 million annually. Patel highlighted, “This case exemplifies misplaced priorities and reflects what went wrong with federal law enforcement post-January 6.”
In response to Crowder’s situation, Paul echoed Patel’s sentiments, expressing gratitude to those involved in ceasing the program. He emphasized the need to restrict the powers of bureaucrats, who often infringe on citizens’ rights.
